Kru'desh Legion
The Kru'desh Legion, also known as the "Condemned Legion", was a special task force within Jul 'Mdama's movement. Looked down on by most of their compatriots, the warriors assigned to the legion were considered disgraced, subversive, or otherwise unsuitable for service within the Storm's more traditional combat units. Despite their low standing and poor reputation, the warriors of the Kru'desh were favored by 'Mdama for their unorthodox tactics and he often used them as a tool to weed out disloyal elements within his command structure. Lower ranking field commanders were less appreciative of their talents and the threat of reassignment to the legion was often used as a tool to motivate under-performing warriors. The legion was known for being dispatched on high-risk operations and assignment to the unit was considered to be little more than a death sentence. Following his defection to the Covenant in the late 2550's, the renegade Simon-G294 seized command of the legion with 'Mdama's blessing. Though he carried out 'Mdama's orders in order to gain standing within the Covenant, Simon often utilized the legion for his own ends agenda. His attempt to use the legion as his own private army came to an end when another Spartan challenged and defeated him in single combat and assumed the mantle of leadership. Operational History Formation and Initial Operations When established his resurgent Covenant in the name of curbing human expansion and returning the to their former galactic dominance, he was in desperate need of recruits, equipment, and supplies to outfit his burgeoning army. Though aided by a sizable contingent of warriors from his stronghold on , 'Mdama required many more sources of troops and warships to forge his Covenant into a force to be reckoned with. To this end he targeted veterans from the embittered by the collapse of the old theocracy and the ensuing . His militaristic goals appealed to those disillusioned with 's efforts towards peaceful coexistence with the and scores of warriors flocked to his banner. However, many of these converts to 'Mdama's extremist movement were woefully untrained, undisciplined, or full-blown criminal opportunists more interested in profiting from corruption within the Covenant'ss ranks than in sincere devotion to its goals. In order to maintain discipline and combat effectiveness, 'Mdama instituted many of the old Covenant's harsh methods of quelling corruption and heresy. Before long the Covenant's officers gained a reputation for their ruthless dedication to the Covenant's goals and willingness to execute unsatisfactory warriors for a moment's lapse in orthodoxy. Before long however, the Covenant's mounting casualties from conflict with , , and rival Covenant factions soon forced 'Mdama and his commanders to reevaluate their harsh discipline policies. Finding that frequent summary executions did more to discourage potential recruits than enforce discipline, 'Mdama ordered Covenant leaders to pursue less permanent corrective measures for their subordinates. But 'Mdama still needed a way to make examples of more severe infractions and so he formed the Kru'desh Legion as a front line unit tasked with carrying out extremely high risk missions. Warriors deemed unfit for regular service were placed in the legion and were expected to die quickly carrying out the Kru'desh's suicidal operations. 'Mdama appointed Kul 'Vellun, a loyal follower and member of the Covenant's inner circle, as the legion's commander. A harsh and fiercely zealous Covenant devotee, 'Vellun despised the motley warriors under his command and imposed strict disciplinary measures on the unit. Before long the Kru'desh gained a reputation for being little more than a penal battalion, assignment to which equated a prolonged death sentence. The Kru'desh had fulfilled its role as a disciplinary alternative to summary execution; however, under 'Vellun's leadership it enjoyed only a marginal success rate for the missions it undertook. Before long, even 'Mdama was questioning the rationale behind the legion, noting that it was more costly to lose valuable equipment to failed operations then it was to simply resume executing problematic warriors. The Kru'desh was quickly cut off even from its own meager allowance of weapons and equipment and reassigned to hard labor duties rather than suicide attacks. The sudden drop in combat operations meant that the Kru'desh ranks quickly swelled with more condemned warriors—warriors who now possessed much higher life expectancies. 'Vellun's command of logistics was only passable at best and the under-supplied legion soon suffered a crippling ration shortage. Fearing mutiny, 'Vellun hurriedly requested 'Mdama's permission to violently thin the his own ranks. But unbeknownst to the unfortunate 'Vellun, 'Mdama had already made other arrangements. An ambitious warrior named Riq 'Ellash had come to 'Mdama with a plan to comprehensively change the Kru'desh legion into a more effective element of the Covenant's fighting force. With 'Mdama's blessing 'Ellash staged a hostile takeover, killing 'Vellun and most of his officers and winning both leadership of the legion and the respect of his unruly subordinates. When some warriors suggested that 'Ellash use the opportunity to break from the Covenant and become a warlord in his own right, the new commander had them publicly executed. With any dissenters purged, 'Ellash undertook the task of turning the Kru'desh towards a new purpose: carrying out Jul 'Mdama's black operations. Change of Command Riq 'Ellash had convinced 'Mdama to turn his back on 'Vellun by proposing a radical repositioning of the Kru'desh Legion within the Covenant command structure. Rather than being consigned to the fringes of the Covenant's operations, 'Ellash suggested that the legion instead answer directly to the inner circle and perform tasks deemed too sensitive or risky for regular detachments to carry out. The proscribed nature of the legion meant that its warriors were the perfect candidates for tasks that conflicted with mainstream Covenant doctrine: their contact with the rank and file Covenant was incredibly limited and they could be silenced if necessary without arousing suspicion. 'Ellash's proposal intrigued 'Mdama and he permitted the young warrior's takeover on the caveat that the Kru'desh needed to quickly prove itself capable of succeeding in the kinds of missions it would need to carry out in its new capacity as a black operations unit. 'Ellash swiftly moved to do just that. Understanding the rebellious warriors under his command far better than 'Vellun ever had, he reorganized the Kru'desh into an irregular fighting force that eschewed the rigid Sangheili norms in favor of small-unit tactics that 'Ellash had learned from studying human military forces. With only a handful of outdated ships at their disposal, the reformed Kru'desh launched a series of bloody raids across the galactic frontier. They returned to 'Mdama with thousands of captives as well as a cache of Forerunner artifacts seized from a human research facility. Pleased with the progress, 'Mdama elevated 'Ellash to 'Vellun's old position within his inner circle. In order to keep up appearances, he continued to maintain the Kru'desh's public status as a disposable punishment legion and continued to deny them the higher-grade equipment issued to the Covenant rank and file. However, he ordered 'Ellash to enhance his forces with ships and weapons stolen through future raiding operations. The Kru'desh effectively became a small privateer force, sustaining itself through piracy while quietly carrying out Jul 'Mdama's secretive operations. The Kru'desh's new capacity for raiding enemy territory was particularly useful to a Covenant that still lacked the conventional military power needed to support large-scale offensives against UNSC or -held territory. Jul 'Mdama was no stranger to dealing with the galaxy's criminal underworld, but the stigma surrounding the Kru'desh warriors meant that they could work alongside slavers, mercenaries, and even human renegades without inciting the ire of the Covenant's more tradition-minded officers. Riq 'Ellash capitalized on the infamy his sudden rise to power had won him by negotiating independently with organizations outside of the Covenant. Though careful to remain loyal to 'Mdama, he hoped that future successes would elevate him to even greater positions in the future. To this end, he began searching for caches of Forerunner artifacts to present to the Covenant's leader. 'Ellash knew that the Covenant was at a great disadvantage in the galaxy-wide race to stockpile the ancient technology, particularly after the , and so he sought to use the Kru'desh's criminal connections to obtain more "holy relics." A breakthrough in 'Ellash's efforts came when he recruited the Sangheili mercenary known as Ro'nin into the legion's ranks—or so he thought. In exchange for securing a position as one of the Kru'desh's top officers Ro'nin presented 'Ellash with an active Forerunner " ," an advanced artificial intelligence construct with access to immense caches of Forerunner artifacts. The Oracle's assistance was an unprecedented breakthrough for the Kru'desh, but unbeknownst to all but Ro'nin the construct actually housed the renegade human AI Diana. Incredibly dangerous and ambitious, Diana sought to gain a foothold within the ranks of the Covenant and aimed to turn the Kru'desh into her own private army. At Ro'nin's advice, 'Ellash did not report his possession of an Oracle to 'Mdama and instead kept the construct's existence a closely guarded secret in the hopes that it would lead his forces to even greater victories. With its new "Oracle" networking throughout the Kru'desh warships, the legion grew bolder in its raids. 'Ellash understood the incredible value of an artificial intelligence in coordinating troop movements and used the advantage to drill his warriors in complex battle maneuvers rivaling those of the Covenant's most elite combat units. Ro'nin's entrance into the legion provided even more benefits: the veteran mercenary possessed a network of "business associates" through which to attract more private contractors. With Ro'nin's help, 'Ellash swelled his legion's ranks with mercenary auxiliaries. But the ambitious commander's windfall blinded him to the truth: Ro'nin was steadily filling the Kru'desh with warriors more loyal to money and plunder than they were to any of the Covenant doctrines. The warriors assigned to the Kru'desh were deviants to begin with—a fact that 'Ellash had forgotten in the face of the legion's growing prowess. In her guise as a Forerunner construct, Diana now had everything she needed to set her plans in motion and seize total control of the Kru'desh. In 2557 the Covenant suffered a disastrous defeat at the frontier world Fell Justice. The Kru'desh served as a screening force during the battle, though 'Ellash saved most of his ships by withdrawing before the Covenant fleet crumbled. At the Oracle's command the legion remained in the system after most of the Covenant's retreat in an effort to salvage what they could from the destroyed warships, particularly the defeated fleet's command vessel. Ro'nin led a team onto the remains of the carrier and caught 'Ellash by surprise when he reported a single survivor: a badly wounded human. Although 'Ellash gave orders that the survivor be executed, the Oracle overrode him and commanded the salvage team to bring the human back alive. Ro'nin recognized the armored human as the turned mercenary Simon-G294. 'Ellash ordered Ro'nin to interrogate the captive Spartan, not realizing that Simon's capture was the beginning of the final stage in Diana's plan to take over the legion. The rogue Spartan was Diana's estranged partner, having grown apart from the AI during his time aboard the smuggling ship Chancer V. Eager to reassert her influence over the young renegade, Diana oversaw Simon's recovery even as she and Ro'nin subjected him to brutal physical and psychological tortures. After thoroughly breaking her Spartan "friend," Diana kindled in Simon a long suppressed sense of ambition and convinced him to join forces with her once again in a bid for power. The recovering Simon plotted with Diana and Ro'nin to stage a coup as the Kru'desh task force regrouped with the Covenant's combined fleet. Oblivious to the danger he was in, 'Ellash ordered Ro'nin to present the Spartan prisoner before the Kru'desh's chief officers. It was at this assembly that the conspirators struck: Diana used her capacity as Oracle to declare Simon the legion's divinely appointed leader. Warriors organized by Ro'nin burst into the meeting and slaughtered any officers who resisted before taking the rest hostage. In full view of the Kru'desh warriors, the released Simon throttled the stunned 'Ellash with his bare hands. Diana orchestrated similar uprisings across the rest of the Kru'desh ships and by the time the task force regrouped with the rest of the Covenant fleet any resistance had been ruthlessly crushed. For the first time in recorded history, a Spartan had seized command of a Covenant legion. The Demon Commander :Simon-G294: "Right now, I control one of your battle groups. Sure, you could wipe us out with all that firepower you're packing, but not before we gave as good as we got. And definitely not before I transmitted all the secret little errands you've had these guys running in the shadows out to all your devoted followers." :Jul 'Mdama: "You still have more to lose here than I do, Demon. If you value your life, perhaps it is less than wise for you to negotiate so... aggressively. You are not in a position to make threats." :Simon-G294: "Oh, I'm not making threats. Just getting all my cards out on the table. You guys need Forerunner toys to keep Earth and Sanghelios from wiping you out, but you Covenant types have trouble activating that stuff. I don't have that problem. Let me keep this unit, and I'll deliver everything their old commander promised you and more." :Jul 'Mdama: "Trust is a rare commodity in this galaxy. Even rarer when dealing with creatures such as yourself. But the fact that you came here after seizing control rather than fleeing is intriguing. Perhaps there is something to your proposal after all. Advance our cause, use those warriors to slay our mutual enemies, and perhaps there is hope for an agreement between the two of us." :—Simon-G294 comes to terms with Jul 'Mdama Simon's takeover was nearly complete by the time the Kru'desh task force regrouped with Jul 'Mdama's main fleet. Knowing that it would be impossible to keep the uprising secret, Simon instead took the initiative and entered into direct negotiations with 'Mdama. A tense standoff ensued as Simon fought to convince the Didact's Hand to recognize his legitimacy and welcome him into his inner circle. Thanks to Diana, Simon had evidence of 'Mdama's secretive uses of the Kru'desh and threatened to release it among the Covenant's rank and file. It was a risky gambit: the combined firepower of 'Mdama's warships could have easily burned the Kru'desh ships to ashes. But 'Mdama was unwilling to lose the useful tool he had found in the Kru'desh; his pragmatism won out and he grudgingly acknowledged the rogue Spartan as the Kru'desh's new commander. 'Mdama was quick to test the rogue Spartan's loyalty, ordering the Kru'desh to conduct raids against human settlements across the frontier. Simon instead subjugated the targeted colonies, mimicking the Sangheili practice of establishing protectorates. Although such tactics ran counter to the Covenant's virulent hostility towards humanity, he negotiated settlements with the colonies and exchanged protection in return for regular tribute to the Covenant cause. The colonists were so shocked by the offer that at first they believed the Kru'desh was a faction unto itself rather than a part of the Covenant. Simon used such controversial tactics to gauge which warriors among the Kru'desh would truly abide by his leadership. Any who did not were swiftly executed, usually by Simon's own hand. With Ro'nin's help he secured the loyalty of the others through generous distribution of the wealth gained from their campaign of extortion and conquest, running the Kru'desh more like a mercenary company than like a Covenant legion and even going so far as to promote Kig-Yar and Unggoy to positions of leadership. In the meantime, Simon used Diana's research and his own frontier experience to track down numerous Forerunner caches. The Kru'desh seized control of the sites and Simon soon presented a wealth of Forerunner weapons and artifacts to 'Mdama, though he and Diana carefully concealed the locations of several key sites from the Covenant forces. Although he was suspicious of Simon's refusal to destroy human colonies, Jul was impressed by Simon's achievements and entrusted the Kru'desh with more resources and responsibilities. Simon's tactics also attracted the attention of Shinsu 'Refum, another Divine Hand and 'Mdama's chief special operations commander. 'Refum harbored secretive designs of his own and recognized a similar ambition in Simon. He began working to allay 'Mdama's misgivings over granting a Spartan such degrees of freedom within the Covenant while also reaching out to aid the Kru'desh as they continued working to secure the frontier. Throughout the Kru'desh's rapid advance across the frontier it maintained its relatively small size and maneuverability. Aside from seizing a small number of warships to add to the legion's task force, Simon did not greatly expand the legion's ranks. Wary of overextending his forces, he instead built relationships with other Covenant factions that usually eschewed the 'Mdama's Covenant such as the and Kig-Yar pirate clans. Simon knew that many of these factions chafed under the supremacy of the major galactic factions and the criminal Syndicate's domination of the underworld and used these discontents to forge a loose coalition of forces dedicated to maintaining the lawless freedom of the frontier. Using the allied groups to help maintain the security of the subjugated colonies freed the Kru'desh's own warriors to establish cover outposts around the Forerunner sites they discovered. Recognizing the need for a mobile base of operations, Diana encouraged him to seize the abandoned mining ship Heavy Burden. The Kru'desh renamed the massive vessel Desecrated Sanctum and re-purposed it to suit their needs. Under Simon's leadership, the Kru'desh expanded from being a simple strike force to the central component in a inter-factional coalition gradually moving to police more and more of the frontier while covering his and Diana's search for more and more Forerunner sites. The sudden surge of Covenant interference with human colonies did not go unnoticed. Before long the Kru'desh and its impromptu coalition faced a human resistance force of Insurrectionists, mercenaries, and independent spacers. Known as "the Underground," they sought to free the frontier colonies from alien influence and began interfering with the Covenant's operations. With his fragile coalition and standing within the Covenant in jeopardy, Simon struck back harshly against the Underground and eventually located its base of operations. He personally led the Kru'desh ground assault and was shocked to come face to face with his old crew from the Chancer V, now key members of the Underground—and firmly opposed to everything he was doing on the frontier. Rejected and condemned by the crew that was once his family, Simon nevertheless pressed the attack and crushed the Underground forces. The Underground was broken, but Simon allowed the Chancer V to flee with several key leaders on board, even going so far as to execute an officer who disobeyed his orders not to fire on the ship. Ro'nin later warned him that such displays made him appear weak in front of his warriors. With the Underground defeated, the Kru'desh was free to continue its activities across the frontier unmolested. Throughout it all, Diana used the legion to assist in her search for Forerunner technology. Unbeknownst to all but a few, she used the Covenant's stratagems to further her own interests, gradually building the Kru'desh in a force to challenge the great galactic powers. Kru'desh Rampant Even with the Kru'desh reviving the Covenant's power base on the frontier, Jul 'Mdama remained suspicious of Simon's reluctance to attack human targets. The human's presence within his inner circle was a source of discord among the Covenant'srank and file and 'Mdama needed an example to prove that his trust in the "Demon Commander" was well founded. He thus ordered the Kru'desh to launch an offensive against outposts on the frontier. As with every move the Kru'desh made, Diana coordinated this attack to her advantage. She provided Simon and his warriors with the location of an ONI facility on and during the ensuing raid instructed them to retrieve a contained within its classified storage center. This chip was soon revealed to contain Juno, Diana's "sister" AI who had been sealed away in the years following the end of the Great War. While Diana reactivated Juno, Simon reported his success in leveling the facility to 'Mdama. But while the skirmish furthered Simon's position within 'Mdama's Covenant, it also confirmed for ONI rumors that a renegade Spartan was indeed leading Covenant troops into battle and Simon was once again brought into intelligence agency's deadly crosshairs. Simon continued to let Diana guide his movements as the Kru'desh grew in size and influence. Following a lead from a captured pirate, his warriors rediscovered the abandoned Covenant prison Forsaken Solitude and were surprised to find a prisoner in one of its cells: another renegade Spartan, Amber-G330. Though many of the Sangheili wanted to execute the weak and sickly Amber, Simon ordered them to care for and treat her wounds. Shortly afterwards, Ro'nin's agents captured the renegade terrorist known as "The Reaper." The Reaper was known for his attempt to perfect an anti-Sangheili toxin on and Simon appeased his warriors by imprisoning the criminal within Forsaken Solitude. In the meantime, Diana's interrogation of Juno—who surprised her sister by refusing to take part in the schemes with the Covenant—yielded few tangible results. The Imperium War Hostile Takeover The battles of the Imperium Conflict the Kru'desh as a true force to be reckoned with, rivaling the power of even Jul 'Mdama's most elite legions. However, the supreme commander was growing increasingly suspicious of Simon's true motives and refused to acknowledge that the misfits of the Kru'desh had succeeded where he himself had failed many times before. The lack of accolades incited widespread discontent among the Kru'desh ranks—discontent that Ro'nin and Diana's growing "inner circle" actively encouraged. In the meantime, Simon was deeply troubled by the human lives he had taken in pursuit of Diana's goals and grew increasingly distant from the warriors he commanded. Delegating many of his responsibilities to officers like Amber and Ro'nin, he spent many hours alone in his quarters as his relationship with Diana deteriorated. Where he had once loyally followed the AI's instructions, he now questioned her true objectives and even went so far as to remove Juno from her custody. These tensions only emboldened Kru'desh officers who chafed at both 'Mdama's disregard and the restrictions Simon placed on their traditional tactics. It was all the traitor Spartan could do to maintain his hold on the legion and prevent them from violating the agreements with the colonies they had promised to protect. Jul 'Mdama's suspicion of the Kru'desh came to a head when he gave orders for the unit to downsize and surrender half of its fighting strength to mainstream Covenant legions. Careful to maintain his position in 'Mdama's increasingly tenuous hierarchy, Simon agreed to the supreme commander's demands but delayed enacting them under the pretense that the Kru'desh needed time to refocus their operations. The rogue Spartan promptly began working to betray 'Mdama, aiding his fellow human collaborator in transmitting her location to the UNSC. Not fooled by Simon's excuses, 'Mdama ordered him to take a small scouting force to the human colony to map out the planet's defenses for a future Covenant assault. While Simon was away, 'Mdama dispatched officers to the Kru'desh with orders to force the legion's immediate downsizing. But Amber—backed by Diana and Ro'nin—rallied the Kru'desh to resist the humiliation. The furious Sangheili turned on 'Mdama's representatives and killed them. Amber then personally led an assault on a nearby human colony, freeing the Kru'desh warriors from Simon's restrictive rules of engagement. The Kru'desh overwhelmed the colony's meager defenses and slaughtered its inhabitants, taking only a handful of prisoners to be sold to Kig-Yar slavers. News of the massacre spread quickly through human space and those who knew of the Kru'desh had no reason not to lay responsibility for the attack at Simon's feet. On Talitsa, an unassuming Simon was confronted by his old friend Cassandra-G006. The furious Cassandra attacked Simon, catching him off-guard and inflicting him with a humiliating defeat in front of his warriors. Shaken by the encounter, Simon hurried back to the Desecrated Sanctum to confront Amber. But word of his loss on Talitsa spread quickly through the Kru'desh ranks, eliminating what little respect he still commanded from the warriors. Upon his return, Simon was greeted with even more shocking news: Jul 'Mdama was dead, assassinated during the . With the Covenant in chaos, Amber pounced upon the opportunity to seize power. With Ro'nin's support she challenged Simon to single combat in front of the Kru'desh officers. Stunned by the betrayal and still recovering from his encounter with Cassandra, Simon was swiftly defeated. He desperately turned to Diana for help only for her to reject him and throw her full support behind Amber. Utterly stripped of authority, Simon only escaped execution with the help of the handful of warriors who remained loyal to him. He and his supporters fled the Sanctum while Amber moved swiftly to assert her authority over the Kru'desh. Amber had little trouble asserting authority over a legion that had long chafed under Simon's restrictive leadership. Though some warriors were reluctant to serve under a human female, Amber swiftly rooted out and eliminated any opposition to her new position along with any officers she and Ro'nin suspected might be loyal to the collapsing Covenant. She promptly refused orders to join the Covenant's desperate stand on . This disobedience marked the Kru'desh's final break with the Covenant. Ro'nin and the other officers pledged allegiance to Amber and Diana, who promised to lead them to glories and riches that they had never known under the Covenant. Ignoring the Covenant's death-throes on Sanghelios, the Kru'desh turned on the frontier colonies that Simon had promised to protect. Kru'desh warriors brutally subjugated the unsuspecting colonies while Amber moved to reinforce the Forerunner sites occupied by Simon. Thanks to Diana's careful preparations, the Kru'desh anticipated the AI uprising that soon rocked human space, as the awakened AI 's new " " faction moved to seize control of the Forerunner over the galaxy. The Free Domain Freed from its responsibilities to the Covenant, the Kru'desh moved quickly to take advantage of the chaos. The renegade legion preyed on both human and Covenant ships alike, bolstering its forces with stolen ships and newly recruited warriors drawn by the promise of unrestricted warfare. Amber's first major victory as commander of the Kru'desh came when her fleet ambushed the UNSC Athens. Coordinated by Diana, the Kru'desh warships destroyed the Athens's escorts while Amber personally led boarding parties to capture the stricken carrier. During the assault, Amber killed fellow Spartan Joshua-G024 ad oversaw a complete takeover of the Athens. The Kru'desh continued expanding its power across the frontier, enslaving entire populations and consolidating its existing holdings. With Diana's ever-expanding information network and the aid of an inner circle of loyal officers, Amber swelled the Kru'desh ranks and ruthlessly clamped down on any hints of desertion or unrest. Unit Organization Notable Members *Kul 'Vellun *Riq 'Ellash *Simon-G294 *Amber-G330 *Tuka 'Refum: A young devotee to the Covenant cause, Tuka 'Refum fell out of favor after he was the lone survivor from no less than three lances. He was assigned to the unit after questioning elements of the Covenant doctrine. *Ro'nin *Diana *Juno *Iscariot Equipment and Tactics Trivia *Members of the Kru'desh were known to often implement captured or scavenged equipment and vehicles in the field. Although this casual use of "heathen weaponry" infuriated some of their comrades within the Covenant, the disgraced status of legion members meant that few of them held any compunctions about violating technological taboos.